This invention relates to application Ser. No. 09/008,378, filed Jan. 16, 1998, entitled PROGRAMMABLE TOY. The contents of that application are incorporated by reference herein.
This invention relates to a programmable system for enabling an object, preferably a toy or novelty item, to perform a series of movable actions chosen by a user, and, additionally, for the toy to be usable as a game of skill.
Many toys or novelty items are available in the market which can perform different actions instructed by a player through the use of a remote control device. Typically the use of the remote control device results in a specific action of a toy object, for instance a vehicle. The remote control systems are either infrared, or radio controlled and can only be used to instruct the vehicle to perform individual or separate actions. These kinds of actions can be associated with movement of the toy.
There are also available many different kinds of games which are relatively stationary and which constitute games of skill in the hands of the operator.
Having a variable programmable toy or novelty item which has the features of a movable toy and which also has elements of a game of skill would have distinct advantages and benefits in the consumer market.
The invention is directed to overcoming the limitations of existing toys, novelty items and games.
The invention provides for an interactive programming system for a toy or novelty item. A user, by pressing appropriate keypad buttons can program or instruct an object to perform a series of preset actions. These actions are preset in that different keys are programmed in a first mode to operate or effect different movable actions of the toy or novelty item. Additionally, in a second mode, further programming enables the toy to act as a game of skill, with or without movement. In either mode the operation can, preferably, be accompanied by selected sound effect and light reactions.
According to the invention the programmable toy includes a body which has a motor for actuating a motion generator which can be in the form of wheels or other devices. In a first mode this causes the body to move through the surrounding environment. There is a keypad which operates a series of control switches for operation by the user of the toy. The switches are connected to a programmed or programmable microprocessor for translating the received signals from the switches into control signals for operating the motor. The motor can thereby be caused to activate the body in different selected directions according to the action of the motor on the motive generator.
There is a multipurpose indicator, preferably, in the form a series of light emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in a predetermined manner to indicate to a user which of a selected program is functional in the first mode of operation. This indicator is a visually responsive device.
The indicator LEDs also operate in a second mode of the system when the toy or novelty item is acting as a game of skill. In the second mode, selected switches operate through a selected program to activate the LEDs according to the skill exhibited by the operator in activating the skill game. One or more of the LEDs can act as one or more selected targets which an operator needs to reach by using the switches appropriately. In the second mode, the body is not intended to operate to effect motion on a surface but rather is intended to be hand-held as the operator activates the switches. Vibration effects can take place in the second mode.
In a preferred form of the invention there is a microprocessor which includes a memory function with which predetermined instructions for action and sound effects can be stored. The activities and objects to perform the action and sound effects are determined as selected by the user. The microprocessor operates to move the movable toy through the motive means in the first mode and to permit the game of skill with the LEDs in the second mode. The programming system is driven by an integrated circuit chip which is responsive to the different keys.
The toy comprises in a first form a single motor programmable car. By pressing the appropriated keypad buttons mounted on the exterior of the car, the operator programs the action of the vehicle. There is also the ability to produce sound effects and a display panel with LEDs gleams according to the motion of the car. The LED display panel also creates a movement pattern appropriately with the action of the car when operating in the first mode, and matching the same pace of operation in the first mode. The integrated circuit chip is responsive to the different keys that drives the programmable system, of the toy in its first mode.
In the second mode the toy constitutes an LED responsive game of skill in the nature of a hand-held game. These games include preferably multiple shooting games set in multiple different levels. Each game is preset. There are different LED gleams and movement patterns to represent different games.
The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.